Packaging wall-board.



c.A.uPs0N.l PACKAGING WALL BOAR'D.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7. 1916.

Patented May 8, 1917.

f www@ I CHARLES A. UPSON, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

PACKAGING M' ALL-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, i917.

Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,629.

To all 'whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. UrsoN, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Lockport, county of Niagara, in the State of New York, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packaging Wall-Board, &c., of which the `following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

rIhis invention relates to the packaging of wallfboard and other materials which, being frequently shipped in relatively large sheets or panels and being relatively thin, must have their edges, and particularly their longitudinal edges, protected against abrasion and, being usually somewhat flexible should be prevented from bending in handling and in transportation. The object of the invention is to provide means, inexpensive in character, which shall effectively protect the edges of the sheets or panels from abrasion and shall give the lpackage such rigidity as shall enable it to be handled readily. In accordance with the invention there is applied at each longitudinal edge of the bundle of sheets or lpanels. a substantially rigid or inflexible stiener. Straps are passed around the bundle andthe stiiene-rs to hold the stiH- eners snugly' against the edges of the bundle, and means are providedwhich, in cooperation with the straps, prevent any separation of the several sheets or panels of 'but it will be vobvious that the invention Y is applicable to the packaging of any material which, for convenience in handling and for protection from injury at the edges, should be packed in a firm, compact and comparatively rigid bundle, with no danger of slipping of the sheets or panels one upon another, or of abrasion of the edges in any manner. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which it is illus-v trated and in which,- X

Figure l is a perspective view of a bundle of sheets orpanels of wall-board or similar material with the improved packing or holder applied thereto.

Fig'Q is a similarview showing a slight l modification.

Fig. 3 is a detail view on a larger scale, in section, on the plane indicated by the line 3 -3 of Figs. l and 2, looking in thev direction or' the arrow.

As represented in the drawing, wallboard is usually shipped in bundles made up-each of a number of sheets or panels a, a, laid one upon another with their edges in common planes. The outer lsheets of the bundle may be of the same material as the other sheets `or panels, or they may be of a diii'erent material, either better adapted as outside packing sheets or of cheaper m'aterial. The several sheets, whether of the same or of different materials, mayl be re` garded as making up the bundle, and the outer sheets, whether of the same material or of a different material, may be regarded as packing sheets. Against each longitudinal edge of the bundle is placed a relatively rigid or inileXible stiffener @which is usually made of wood and has its thickness substantially equal to but not greater than the thickness of the bundle. VVall-board is usually packed in bundles of about two inches in thickness and for such a bundle each stiifener should have also a thickness of approximately two inches. Each stiiener extends the full length of the bundle.' Around the` bundle, including the stiieners, are placed straps d, usually of ing a width considerably greaterthan the of the stiiieners thereby exposing the edges of such sheets to injury by contact with Vother objects and permitting the marring of suoli sheets their edges by the straps themselves. ln order to prevent these undesirable results and to prevent any slipping of the bundle with respect tov the stiffeners or either 'of them, there is provided for each strap a protector or binder e which jmay either eXtend.throughout the length of the bundle, as shown in Fig. 1', `or may be made in short lengths, one, for each strap d, as shown in Fig. 2. This binder, made of any suitable material, such as v-burlap, for. example, but preferably a somewhat stiffer material, such as paper-board, .hav-

thickness of the bundle,. is secured to the inner or contacting face of 'eachstilfener` c, as by nails or tacks f, and its edges, are

lapped over the adjacent edges of the bundle.

These binders. are of course applied to the stifl'eners before the stili'eners are applied to the bundle, so that, the straps d, when applied as already described, hold the edge portions off-the binders firmly against the sides of the`bundle andthereby the binders, being themselves secure'd'to the' stieners, not onlyi hold the sheets irmly together but prevent any slipping either of the bundle as-a whole or of the outer sheets thereof from the contacting vface of the corresponding stifener.

As bundles of wall-board usually have a length muchA greater than their width and are therefore dragged over the floor of the warehouse or railway platform on one or the.

other of the longitudinal edges, it is practieally necessary only that such longitudinal edges be protected in the manner described,

but obviously the stifl'eners might be Aapplied to the ends of the bundle if desired. Furthermore, it is .essential only that transverse straps be provided when vstiffenersare applied at the longitudinal edges only, but if desired longitudinal straps g might also be provided, in which case binders or protectors A7L 'may be yprovided for the longitudinal straps at each end of the bundle.

It will be evident that by the application of the'invention a rm and compact bundle is formed, with the several sheets or panels ofthe'bundIe. 3. ln combination with sheets or panels held closely together, with the edges of the 4sheets securely protected against abrasion from injury,-and with a suflicient degree of stiffness or resistance to ieXure to permit the bundle to be handled easily in loading and unloading and in transportation.Y 'llhe use of the stitleners not only protects the longitudinal edges and stiffens the package, but itprotects the corners against injury and renders unnecessary the use of corner protectors which have been used to some extent heretofore. The stiffener moreover forms a shoe or skid upon which the bundle may be drawn over the floor. Obviously, moreover,

the new packaging, while thoroughly eicient in every respect is much less expensive than the .crating which has hitherto been used, besides reducing the transportation charges -as compared with .the crated' bundles.

' ll claim as my invention:

l. ln combination with sheets or panels of wall-board and the like, packaging therefor comprising stiiene'rs for opposite edges of approximatelyno greater width than the thickness of the package, and straps passed tightly around the opposite stifeners and the bundleof sheets or panels to holdl the bundle and to press the sheets orl panels closely together; i

Vstitfeners tightly against the edges of the 2. Inl combination with vsheets or. panels for comprising stil'eners for opposite edges of wall-board and the like, packaging thereof approximately no greater width thanv the thickness of the package, strapsfpass'ed tightly around the -opposite stieners andthe bundle of sheets or panels,and binders interposed between thestiieners and the adjacent edges of the bundle' and having their edge portions overlapping the edge portions of wall-board and the like, packaging therevfor comprising stiffeners for'opposite edges y ofapproximately no greater' width than the thickness of the package, straps passed tightly around the opposite stiifenersandthef i bundle of sheets or panels, and --binders Sef- -cured to thel stift'eners between the stifi'eners and the adjacent edges ofthe bundle and having their edge portions overlapping the adjacent edge portions of the bundle.v

4. In combination with sheets or panels of wall-board and the like, packaging therey `for vcomprising stiffeners of wood for oppo- 'site edges of the bundle having each .a thickness approximatelyv no greater than thev `thickness of the bundle, and" straps passed tightly around the opposite stiifeners' and the bundle of sheets or panels to hold the `stiffene`rs tightly against the edges of the -bundle and to press 'thel closely together.

sheets or panels-- 5. n combination with sheets or panels of Wall-board and i'he like`r pfielmging' therefor comprising stifeners of nood for opposite edges of the bundle hariw' euch u thiokness zipproxinmtel)T no gre ler d1un the lhiehness of the bundle, binnen;I seein-.d lo the stifl'eners between the sti "eners andthe adjacent edges of jhe 'bundle :ind hevinej their elzlge portions foverlapp'ng the adja- Cent edge portion or' the bundle, and straps passed lightly around the opposite stifeners :ind hinders und the bundle.

This speeilieainion signed this 13th day of April, XD. 1916.

v CHARLES A. UPSON. 

